Fireworks
by outerelf
Summary: belated 4th of July fic- Red Alert's Fourth of July start out bad, but will Inferno fix it up for him?


Red Alert knew the world was ending. What else could be making those awful, hideous screeching, banging, and booming sounds? He wondered for a moment if he could turn his auditory receptors off, and decided against it. Just because the end of the world was coming didn't mean that Decepticons might not try to sneak onboard and try to kill him.

He got up out of his recharge booth, feeling the strain of not being able to recharge desperately. He staggered to the door, and let it slide open. Around the Ark, several mechs were running around, celebrating happily.

Red Alert watched them running around, optics beginning to offline. He waited for a face that would be willing to speak to him, and spotted Bumblebee. "Bumblebee, what's going on?"

"It's the fourth of July!"

Red Alert struggled to get his CPU working, "What's so special about that?"

"It's the day when the United States of America won independence from a group as bad as Decepticons, and they celebrate it really cool!"

Red Alert sagged against the door for support. "And why didn't anyone tell me that this was coming up?" He asked through a gritted vocalizer, watching the rushing mechs as they strung up red, white, and blue banners. "Moreover, why did you have to wake me up?"

"I'm sorry Red Alert, but they really wanted to celebrate." Prowl said from beside him. Red Alert wondered when Prowl had gotten their, considered a plot, and dismissed it. He was exhausted enough right now that Grimlock could probably tread on him and he wouldn't notice.

"I see. What do the celebrations usually have-"

"Red! Red!" Inferno came rushing down the hallway. "We get to be in a parade!"

"What, Inferno, what parade?"

"A parade going down the city. C'mon, if we hurry we can get their in time to take our places!"

Red Alert found himself being dragged off before he could protest. From Prowls expression, he hadn't been expecting this either.

"Inferno," He said, his CPU finally kicking in. "Wheeljack is trying to make fireworks, isn't he?"

"Yes, but he already moved to the blast room, so don't worry." Inferno soothed, still dragging the reluctant Red Alert behind him. "Now, C'mon Red!"

"Inferno, I don't think this is such a good idea-"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"So, how was the parade?" Jazz called. Red Alert, driving right behind Inferno, muttered something softly that sounded suspiciously like, 'Worst thing in my life.'

Inferno scowled as he changed, looking at Red Alert. "C'mon Red! It wasn't that bad! So what if some government official wanted to sit in you and he dripped cologne all over you? You have to admit that the rest was good."

"Inferno, I didn't see anything else! You realize that I was too tired to notice anything else!" Red Alert exploded. "I've spent the last five days co-coordinating that giant meeting between Prime and the rest of the worlds officials! Not only did I have to completely build a security plan for the area out of scratch, but I had to supervise it! After that I go to get some rest, but twenty breems later I'm woken up by the sudden, awful banging that wakes me up out of a sound recharge!"

Inferno wilted under Red Alerts roaring at him, and mumbled, "But I though you'd like it."

"Maybe when I'm _awake._" Red Alert snarled and stalked into the Ark.

Inferno shot an angry look at Jazz, hissing, "I told you Red Alert wouldn't like this! Now look at this! It'll take me days to calm him down enough to let me in within a mile!"

Jazz looked stunned by the explosion. "Sorry Inferno, we just needed Red Alert out so that way we could get the gunpowder for the Fireworks."

Inferno kicked at a medium sized rock, sending it flying to the other side of the clearing. "Well, it looks like I'm not going to be celebrating it with Red."

0o0o0o0o0o00

Red Alert stormed through the Ark in high dungeon, ignoring any calls that might have been directed to him. Most of the Ark avoided him completely, and Red Alert slammed open the door to the security booth. The mechs inside looked up, and Red Alert pointed.

They ran.

_I shouldn't of been so hard on Inferno._ Red Alert thought guiltly. _It's not his fault that I was so tired, and the government official was defiantly not on either of our plans. And, well, I would've enjoyed it if it wasn't for that guy._ Red Alert sighed, sinking further into the seat, string at the cameras morosely. _I'll apologize to him when it's time for the next mechs turn in another two hours._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It never worked out. Several loud explosions sent both Red Alert and Inferno working to put out fires caused by the fireworks smuggled aboard. Red Alert asked, "did you guys get government permission to set these off anyways?"

Looks were exchanged among the crew, as Prowl and Red Alert held their breath. "Umm, no?"

Jazz said smugly. "But I'm sure Prowler will get it for us, huh?"

Prowl groaned inwardly, even as he struggled to keep his tone level. "Jazz, I do not think-"

Jazz sent a plea through their bond. Prowl sighed in defeat, and Red Alerts face became stony. "Prowl, a word with you."

Both of them retreated out of auditory range, and Red Alert muttered, "We won't be able to get permission fast enough. It'll take days to get through the paperwork, and getting it approved."

Prowl sighed, and then remembered a small tidbit of gossip he had heard. "Red Alert, is it true you let a government official ride inside of you?"

"yes, but why do you ask?"

"It'll be easy calling in a favor then. We simply explain to him that the he rode in an autobot, and we wish to set off our own fireworks-

0o0o0o0o0o0

Red Alert sighed as night spread her wings across the sky, and the stars began to twinkle and dance in the sky. He considered going to his recharge booth, but he still hadn't apologized to Inferno yet-

Shrieks of laughter from the humans caught his attention, and he looked down to where the humans ran in-between the Autobot legs, holding sparklers. He watched them run around, and saw Bumblebee holding machine sized sparklers, passing them out among the crew. "Wheeljack's worked on these for a long time, but their aren't many. So everyone only gets one."

Red Alert took his, holding it up to what light was left. Already mechs were lighting theirs on fire, and a wry, hidden smile appeared on Red alerts lips as he thought of Inferno charging around with the sparkler, trying to see if he could set things on fire. Inferno would do it, if he was sure he could put the fire out.

"Red Alert, you gonna light that?"

Red Alert looked up, the smile turning into a scowl instantly as he glared at Jazz. Jazz backed up, and Red Alert looked around for Inferno. "Have you seen where Inferno is?"

"He's the one who'll be setting off the fireworks, so he should be down in the field setting them up."

"Ahh. I suppose I should go to him." Red Alert muttered, and distractedly began weaving his way through the mechs.

Prowl, who was making sure that no one got to close, looked at Red Alert. "Red Alert, I'm afraid that Inferno has asked not to be disturbed-"

"I'll wait here then. I need to apologize for this morning."

"You still haven't?"

"No time to do so." Red Alert grunted, looking at Prowl sourly. "From the parade, to the fires, to the getting authorization- It's been one thing after another."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Inferno set up the last of the fireworks, and nodded to the pyrotechnician that they had gotten from the city. The human would be lighting the fireworks, not Inferno unfortunately, because the human was the only one small enough to set them off.

Inferno climbed over the hill, and froze when he saw Red Alert standing nearby Prowl. He cleared his vocalizer and forced himself to get moving. "He'll be setting it off any moment now! Better get back so you can see it better."

Red Alert and Prowl moved back towards the higher ground, as Inferno hurried to catch up. As soon as Inferno was level with them, Red Alert said stiffly, "I must apologize for my behaviour this morning."

Inferno looked at Red Alert, who elaborated, "I wasn't feeling like myself and so I'm sorry that I yelled at you."

"It's alright Red. I shoulda realized that you wouldn't of been able to concentrate what with a human in ya."

Red Alert nodded, and flinched as a soft shriek reached Inferno's auditory receptors. For the first time he wondered how loud fireworks were, after all, Red Alerts hearing was good enough to hear a pin drop at 1.4 miles-

BOOM! Red Alerts optics crossed as he nearly went head over heels from the sound. Inferno thought it was a wonder that Red Alert wasn't screaming about his auditory receptors, and quickly grabbed the security director, hustling him off faster towards somewhere quieter.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Red Alert winced as he felt loose wiring dangling from his auditory units, and he sighed softly. Inferno asked, "Are ya alright?"

Red Alert could faintly hear it, and turned to Inferno. "My auditory units are almost gone." Fireworks exploded above them, and Red Alert managed a slight smile. "Well, I suppose I don't have to worry about jets. The fireworks light up the sky perfectly."

Inferno realized Red Alert was rationalizing to himself to stay calm and to keep the glitch under control. "C'mon Red, lets get back to the main group so they don't start worrying."

Red Alert followed Inferno cautiously, off balance by the still ringing auditory receptors. Together they watched the fireworks explode, and red Alert quickly became so caught up he didn't even notice the humans that sat on his feet until one of them shifted. Red Alert quickly glanced down, and groaned inwardly.

The humans were kissing. Why did they always have to kiss, and why would they want to miss out on the fireworks- Infernos lip components caught Red Alerts, and suddenly Red Alert was certain that it wasn't such a silly thing after all.

SsSsSsSsSsSsSs

Yes, it's a little late, but my computer stopped working on me so I had to completely redo this. Hope ya like it!


End file.
